Furnace



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ECKLEY E.ooXE, oE DRIETN, PENNSYLVANIA.

FURNACE..

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatentfNo. 517,645, dated April 3, 1894. Application filed February 20,1894. SerialNo. 500,825. (No model.)

ToaZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, `ECKLEY B. COXE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Drifton, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to furnaces of the class described in Letters Patent of theUnit'ed granted to me June 20,

The object of my presentv invention is to furnlsh apparatus for the economical burning of the finer grades of coal after the manner' cross-sectional view, in line a-a, Fig. 1,1ooking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view similar to a porl tion of Fig. 2, illustrating theV operation of one of the suction-blast regulators. Fig. 4 is a similar view to 3, illustrating the operation of another one of the suction-blast regulaters. Fig. 5 is a partial side view of the suction-blast-regulating apparatus, as seen from v the right-hand in Fig, 2. y

- Similar characters' designate like parts in' all'the igures. Y

For the purpose of illustrating the application and mode of operation of my present improvements, Ihave shown the same applied to a furnace lsimilar `to the one described in xsaid Letters Patent No. 499,716. This furnace comprises'a fuel-traveling grate andl means for actuating thesame, and has its .furnacechamber G and also the grate-mechanism inclosed by the' usual side-walls 2 and 4, and' endwalls 3 and 5;- said furnace also having a roof, S, a bridge-wall, 7, and a stack or iue, F, in communication with the discharge-end of i the furnace-chamber. VIn thevform herein shown, they endless grate, designated in a general way by G, comprises the upper and lower runs, and 11, respectively, said upper run constituting the furnace-door. Under this floor is located a series of vacuum-cells, or airsupply chamberaa, b, c and (1 these being preferably supplied with air by induction or supply-pipes, a', b', c and d', respectively, in a manner substantially as hereinafter described. The upper and lower runs, respectively, of the endless grate are shown supported upon guides, 16 and 18and 17 and 19, respectively. For actuating the traveling grate, this is shown carried by the chain-wheels 12 and 14, which are supported on the shafts 13 and 15, respectively; and for revolving one of the shafts and thereby actuating the grate, said shaft 15 is shown furnished with the worm- Wheel 40, which meshes with a worm, 41, on a driving-shaft, 42, that is supported in bearings, 43 and 43, and that is driven by a pulley, 44, from some suitable source of power, not shown.l f

As a means for delivering the fuel to the grate,l have shown the furnace provided with the usual hopper, H, from which the fuel slides downward in a stream directly onto the grate,

or furnace-floor', at a point adjacent to the first air-supplychamber, each section of the grate receiving the fuel at or before the time it reaches the said first air-supply chamber, be

fuel is consumed, and the resultant cinder or ashis vafterward carried under the bridgewall 7, and finally delivered-over the rearward end of the grate ,into the ash-pit 21.

These several details just described relative to the furnace proper and its grate-.mechanism; are vsubstantially the same as details designated by like characters in the patent, No. 499,716, hereinbefore referred to, to which reference may be had for a more particular description than vis herein contained. It is desired Vto state in this connection that my improvements are applicable to othertypes of furnaces than `that shown in the drawings, and therefore I do not desire to limit myself to their use in connectionv with any particular form of furnace or grate-mechanism.

'I As a means for creating an excess of draft or suction in the furnace-chamber over and above that naturally created by the fluedraft, and one of sufficient power to not only exhaust the heated products .of combustion from the furnace-chamber, but to cause sufficient suction to draw air from below the grate through the ignited fuel, and at the same time create a vacuum in the air-supply cells to draw air thereinto, I have provided an exhaust blast-device, which, in the preferred form thereof herein shown, consists of a steamblast nozzle, 50, preferably located within the stack or tine F at a suitable point in or beyond the outlet of the furnace-chamber. In the drawings this steam-blast nozzle is shown centrally disposed within and somewhat below the contracting ring, 51of the tine, it being extended through, and fixed in, a transverse wall, or plate, 52, in said stack or iiue. The'exhaust blast nozzle is supplied through the pipe 53 in which is a valve, 54, for regulatingthe supply of steam to said nozzle. In practice, this valve will require regulation in connection with the regulating-valves of the air-supply pipes, as will be hereinafter fully described. Steam will be supplied to the pipe 53 from any suitable steam-supply, as, for instance, the same-might be supplied from a boiler used in connection with the furnace. If desired,`more than one exhaust blast device rnightbe used in connection with the furnace-chamber; also, other kinds of exhaust-devices may be substituted for the steam-blastexhaust device herein described. In its operation, the steam-blast apparatus produces a suction in the furnace-chamber snfncient to draw air upward through the grate and fuel from the several air-cells, or chambers, a, b, c and d, located beneath the grate, and at the saine time creates a vacuum in said cells sufficient to re-supply the cells with air from the outer atmosphere, said cells preferably' being in direct communication with thelouter atmosphere through inductionpipes, a', 7J', c and d', respectively.

As a means for regulating the influx of air lto the several air-cells, or chambers, these cells (or the induction-pipes in communication therewith) Will each, preferably, be furnished with a resistant-valve, or device, which, in the preferred form thereof herein shown, consists of a swinging valve, or gate, 55, of sufficient Weight toresist the incoming air to afgreaterorless degree according as the same is more or lesscounterbalanced.

" In some cases it maybe desirable to dispensewith the resistant-valve just described, which ease the inlets to the vacuumcells may be made of greater or less area to regulate the in-Iiow of air.

` As aineans for counterbalancing the valves 55 to increase their resistance to the in-coming air, said valves are each shown provided with a lever, 56, having a Weight, 57, adjustably secured to the free end thereof. The weights of the valves of the several air-cells may, if desired, be of different sizes, as

shown in Figs. 3, e and 5, so that some of the valves to which they are applied will offer a greater resistance to the in-eoming air than others; or, if desired, the weights may be duplicates and be adjusted upon the levers 56 toward or from the valves to increase or decrease the resistance of said valves. Fig. 3 of the drawings represents one of the valves which is the least Weighted, and which, therefore, offers the most resistance to the in-lowing current of air; this ligure represents the regulator apparatus of the chamber a. Fic'. 4C similarly represents the regulator apparatus for the chamber b, and shows the regulatorvalve 55 more heavily counter-balanced so as to offer less resistance to the in-iiowing current of air and thereby permit a relatively large volume of air to pass into said air-chamber b and so supply the fuel over said chamber with an increased air-blast.

The first one, a, of the series of air-chambers underneath the `grate will, preferably, have its regulator valve so counterbalanccd as to admit a relatively small volume of air to said chamber, as is required during the ignition of the fuel.

In practice, the described nozzle-blast in the discharge-flue will be so proportioned as i to exhaust t he furnace-chamber C sufficiently to draw in, by suction, a sufficient quantity of air through the several air-supply chambers to properly burn the fuel on the grate, the required variation in the successive airsupplies being obtained by increasing or decreasing the resistance of the valves 55 by counterbalancing them more or less. The maximum air-supply will, of course, have an absolute pressure slightly less than the pressure of the atmosphere; this maximum pressure (as when a pressure-blast apparatus was used as described in my prior patent referred to) will generally be in the second air-supply chamber b. In the succeeding chambers c and d, the air-supply will be reduced (by increasing the resistance of the valves thereof to the iii-coming air) to a still lower absolute pressure; and the nozzle-blast, Whether this be steam or air-blast, must be properly proportioned for producing a vacuum sufficient for obtaining the `required variation in the successive air-supplies.

` Ilaving thus described my invention, I claiml. In a furnace, the combination with the furnace-chamber and its inclosing walls, of a grate adapted for supportingand carrying forward the fuel in a layer, a series of vacuumchambers located below said grate and in direct communication with the outer atmosphere, and an exhaust-apparatus located at the discharge end ofthe furnace-chamber and adapted for exhausting said chamber and creating a vacuum in the several vacuum-chainbers, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a furnace having a furnace-chamber and a grate adapted for supporting and mov- IOO IIO

v ing the'lfuel forward, the combination with a.v

series of'independe'nt vacuum-cells or chambers, each, having induction-passages in restricted'communication with theouter atmosphere, and each having openings contiguous to the grate, of means for exhausting the fur-U nace-chamber-and creating a vacuum'in said Vmir-chambers, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

furnace-chamber and its inclosingwalls, of a series of successive air-chambers located beforth.

low the grate and having induction-openingsof varying areas for limitingthe volume of in-flowing air to each successive chamber, and an exhaust apparatus'adapted for exhausting the furnace-.chamber andfor creating la vacuum in the several air-chambers, `substan tially as described and for the purpose set 4'. In a furnace, the combination with the furnace-chamber and its inclosing walls, of a grate adapted for carrying the fuel forward in' a layer, a series of successive.airchambers located underneath thevfuel-layer and each having an induction-passage in direct communication with the outer atmosphere, means in connection with eachinduction-passage for limiting the ini-lux of air thereto, and an exhaust apparatus for producing an increased suction in thev furnace-chamber, for exhaustvin g the same and at the same time creatinga vacuum in the air-chamberssufcientto cause an influx of air thereto,substantiallyas described.

5. In afurnace, the ,combination with the furnace-chamber andits fuel-carrying grate, of a vacuum-chamber located below the igni-y tion region of the grate and having an induction-passage of relatively small area in communication with the outer atmosphere; an adjacent vacuum-chamber having a similar inductionpassage of relatively large area;l a

vacuum-chamber located under the region ofthe grate where the last stages of combustionf take place and having anv induction-passage Iof relatively small area; and a steam-blast apparatus located at the'discharge-end of the combustion -chamber and `adapted .forexor stack for drawing air upward from the 3. In a furnace, the combination with the hausting said chamber and for creating a` vacuum in the several vacuum-chambers to.

said chambers through the fuel andfor cref ating a vacuum in said chambers tocontlnue the supply, substantially as described and Y for the purpose setforth. v

7. In a furnace plant, the combination withv the furnace-chamber and grate, and with successive air chambers located at successive points underneath the grate, of successive iu.- duction-pipes leading from the outer atmosphere to said chambers, gravity resistant valves in said pipes adapted for regulating the influx of air to the several chambers, and an exhauster located in the iue or stack for increasing the suction in the furnace-chamber and' for creating a vacuum in the air-chambers, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a furnace, the combination with the furnace-chamber and its inclosing walls, and with the furnace-floor adapted for carrying the fuel forward in a layer, cfa series of successive air-supplies located below said iioor and having their induction-passages in direct butrestricted communication with the outer atmosphere, a discharge-flue or stack fat the discharge-end of the furnace-chamber, a steam-blast nozzle in said iiue or stack, means for supplying steam to said nozzle, and a regulator valve for controlling the steam-blast, whereby a vacuum is produced in the several air-chambers, substantially asdescribed and for the purpose set forth. y

9. In a furnace, the combination with the grate and with the furnace-chamber, of a series-of successive air-chambers located below the grate and each having an inductionpassage in direct communication with the outer atmosphere, a weighted gravity valve closing each passage more or less, and'means for creating a vacuum in the :air-chambers to overcome the resistance of their weighted valvesand cause an influx of air, substan- IOO tially as described 'and for the purpose set forth. f

i l0. In a furnace, the combination with the furnace-chamber and its grate, of a series of air induction apparatuses comprising airchamber's-located under the grate and each having an inlet and a discharge opening, the

grate andthe inlet opening being located'outside the wall of the furnace, a Weighted resistant valve contiguous to each inlet opening and adapted for regulating the inlux` of air, 4and an exhaust apparatus located at'the 'discharge end of the furnace-chamber'and adapted for creating a suction in the chamdischarge opening being contiguous to the bers of the induction apparatus, substantially as' described and for the purpose set forth. y lECKLEY B. COKE.

Witnesses: HENRY B. CoXr., Y ALBERT B. SHAFFER. 

